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Navajo Code Talkers given a day in their honor

The official designation of Aug. 14 as Navajo Code Talkers' Day in Arizona moved former code talker Joe Kellwood to song -- in Navajo. It is also the anniversary of Japan's surrender in 1945, which ended World War II.
The Arizona Republic

State Sen. Carlyle Begay, the bill's first named sponsor, said the legislation recognizes "the culture and tradition and language that made the Code Talkers and really the code significance."

After the private event, seven Code Talkers, wearing garrison caps and military medals, shared stories at the Capitol.

Peter MacDonald, president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association and a former Navajo Nation tribal chairman, thanked the state and the legislators who made the bill a reality.

"It's not just Navajo legacy or Marine Corps legacy," MacDonald said. "We believe it's America's legacy, because what we did demonstrates that America — composed of diverse communities, different languages, different skills, different talents — when our way of life and our land is threatened, we all come together as Americans."

The Navajo men created an unbreakable code alphabet from their language by attaching familiar words to letters.

Code Talker Roy Hawthorne spoke of the positive impact his time in the military had on his life.

"It was a very interesting ride that we had, serving as Navajo Code Talkers," he said. "It opened our eyes to a lot of things. It opened our eyes to the fact that we were achievers."

Aug. 14 is the anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender and the end of WWII. The date has been a national commemoration of Code Talkers since 1982, when President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation honoring them.

"Equipped with the only foolproof, unbreakable code in the history of warfare, the code talkers confused the enemy with an earful of sounds never before heard by code experts," Reagan wrote.

"The dedication and unswerving devotion to duty shown by the men of the Navaho Nation ... should serve as a fine example for all Americans."

The Code Talkers' service was not officially recognized until the project was declassified in 1968.

President Bill Clinton signed a law in 2000 awarding the original 29 Code Talkers the Congressional Gold Medal and other Code Talkers the Congressional Silver Medal.

The last of the original Navajo Code Talkers, Chester Nez, died in June.

"By my life and my actions and teachings, I see my grandchildren, my great grandchildren knowing what this country stands for," Hawthorne said.